Thomas Norris and Jane Lambert's fifth child, William, was baptised at Child Okeford Dorset on 5 October 1817. At the age of 31, William emigrated to New South Wales aboard the Emigrant, which arrived at Sydney on 8 June 1849. Also on board the Emigrant were William's brother Isaac and his family, and Mary Anne Lucas, a twenty year old house servant from Gunville, a village only four or five miles from Child Okeford.

Three days after arriving in New South Wales, William Norris married Mary Anne Lucas at West Maitland on 11 June 1849. Also married on the same day in the same church were Frederick Wise and Clara Taylor, fellow Dorset natives who had also emigrated aboard the Emigrant. Frederick and Clara were witnesses to William and Mary Anne's marriage.

By the time of the birth of their first child, Sampson, on 3 June 1850, William and Mary Anne had settled at Camden, where the families of William's other brothers, Henry and Sampson, had settled over ten years earlier. Although his occupation in the Shipping Agent's Immigration List had been given as "groom", after arriving at Camden he had apparently taken up farming.

Over a period of twelve years, Mary Anne gave birth to seven children: Sampson (3 June 1850), Charlotte Jane (25 April 1852), James (16 June 1854), Lucy (15 October 1856), Emily Elizabeth (10 November 1857), Ann (3 February 1860) and William (28 April 1862). Unfortunately two daughter's, Lucy and Ann, died before reaching the age of five years. During this period, William seems to have moved around the Camden district following work. After farmimg at Cawdor for four or five years, in 1856 he was in the employ of a Mr. Bisley at Bringelly. One year later he was labouring at Theresa Park, while by February 1860 he was farming at Brownlow Hill. However, two months later he is recorded as having returned to Camden as a labourer.

Tragically, Mary Anne died from inflammation of the lungs at the Oaks, near Camden, on 31 August 1863. She was aged 35 years and left behind her family of children whose ages ranged from thirteen year old Sampson to one year old William.

What became of William Norris (senior) after his wife's death is not certain but it would appear that he moved away from the Camden district soon after. William's daughter Emily Elizabeth, who was known as Emma, was fostered after her mother died and it is possible that some of the other children were also. Emma was residing at Colo Vale at the time of her marriage in 1886 and later lived at Aylmerton near Mittagong. Perhaps her father was also residing in the Southern Highlands area for some time. This possibility is supported by the fact that on the Death Certificate of his eldest son, Sampson (Samuel), Samuel's birth place is mistakenly given as Berrima, also near Mittagong. Also, his youngest son William was living at Bundanoon at the time of his marriage in 1890.

William Norris senior's occupation is variously given as "sawyer and labourer", "carpenter" and "goldminer" on the death certificates of his children. However, it has not yet been possible to determine the details of William Norris's death with any certainty. The only possibility to have surfaced to date relates to the death of a William Morris at Forbes on 15 January 1883. The death certificate gives his age as 66 years which accords with William Norris's age. It also records his occupation as "carpenter" which is consistent with the above descriptions of William Norris's occupations.

William Norris's eldest son was christened Sampson (probably after his uncle Sampson); however, throughout his life he was known as Samuel and this name is recorded on his death certificate. Early in his life he moved inland. Samuel married Ellen Bunt at Young on 22 January 1872. Ellen's family resided at Sutton Forest, also in the Southern Highlands region and it is likely that she met William there. Ellen died in 1881 after giving birth to five children: Annie (bap 1 Feb 1873, Young), William Henry (1875), Sarah (1877), Emily (1879-1882), Ada (1881).